Mayor, city miss chance to send strong climate message
Re “Boston won’t join bid to ban fossil fuels: Wu decides not to apply for state’s pilot program on new building rules” (Page A1, Nov. 13): Thank you to reporter Sabrina Shankman for bringing to our attention the City of Boston’s puzzling inaction.
Mayor Michelle Wu said she’d received “clear indications that Boston would not be chosen for the one available spot” among the 10 cities and towns that would be allowed, under the program, to ban developers from including fossil fuels in new buildings.
Fear of not being picked for the team is no reason to give up the sport! When pursuing next steps in their own lives, we encourage our children to consider all the reasons to try and the gains they would realize by doing so. By not even submitting the application for the Commonwealth’s fossil fuel-free demonstration program, Boston retreated from sending a message to the Legislature to make room for all communities; signaling to developers, employers, and workers that green jobs are here now; and demonstrating to our neighbors that the city is moving forward with sustainable force to create a livable climate.
Mary Brady
Jamaica Plain
Well, decision sure pleases business leaders and developers
Sabrina Shankman’s article brings to light the Wu administration’s decision to withdraw the city’s application to become one of the 10 pilot communities banning fossil fuels in new buildings. While the administration was given indications that Boston would not be selected by the state as a pilot community, I wonder whether the influence of lobbyists factored into the city’s decision. Mayor Michelle Wu discussed her administration’s intent to apply for this program for more than a year. The article documented how pleased business leaders and real estate developers were with the decision not to apply.
As an enthusiastic supporter of the mayor’s environmental platform, it is my sincere hope that her administration will find other means to limit fossil fuel infrastructure in new buildings, such as passing the zero net carbon building zoning code.
Elizabeth Tamton
Jamaica Plain
If New York and San Francisco can do it, why can’t Boston?
Mayor Michelle Wu said last week that it appears the state’s pilot program was not intended for a city as complex as Boston.
Really? New York and San Francisco are banning fossil fuels in new construction, but innovative Boston can’t find a way? This is a poor excuse from a mayor who has promised to lead our city into a healthy, zero-carbon future. Vague promises are not enough. What happened to the mayor’s “aspirational” (as state Senator Michael Barrett put it) Green New Deal? Where is the sense of urgency during this profound climate crisis? Two years is enough time to be expecting more.
Jeri Hamlen
Boston
